June 16th meeting:
The Board voted to approve a $130.85M FY 2025-26 budget that includes a proposed 6.96% primary property tax increase, the actual levy to be voted on at the August 5th meeting. In a three-to-two vote, with Supervisor Ron Gould and District 4 Supervisor Don Martin opposing, the Board approved a modified budget to include a change in date for Sheriff’s office employee pay raises to begin at the start of the Fiscal Year. Usually raises occur annually on the anniversary of the employees hiring date. This change will cost the county approximately $337,000
Additionally, the Mohave County Fair rates will be increasing $1.00 when purchased digitally to cover an online surcharge fee.
County Recorder Lydia Durst brought forward an item to accept a $600 scholarship from an extremist organization, U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence. This organization is directly tied to The Center for Tech and Civic Life. Both are sponsored by far-left organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Tides Foundation, and they also received donations from Facebook/Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. When questioned by District 5 Supervisor, Ron Gould, Recorder Durst stated that if she was not awarded the scholarship, she would pay for it out of her budget. The Board denied her request but after increased public pressure Recorder Durst changed her mind and will not be partnering with U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence after all.
July 7th meeting:
A contentious girls foster care group home with land in Havasu Heights applied for a special use permit. Supervisor Gould, whose district the project is located in, voted against it stating it wasn’t located in the right area and that he had offered to help them find a more suitable location. He believes the project is better served in a commercial zone rather than putting it in this isolated agricultural/residential area. The other supervisors sided with the well organized group of public supporters and voted for the project to be approved in Gould’s District. Historically, supervisors usually defer to the supervisor of the district a proposal is situated in.
Golden Valley will be seeing some new duplexes built. The Board voted to approve a project off Oatman Hwy near Shinarump, just west of Walnut Creek Estates, that would allow for a maximum of four units per acre.
The Mohave County Airport Authority (MCAA) continues to delay giving the Board of Supervisors a presentation or a financial audit report. District 2 Supervisor Rich Lettman has continued to put pressure on the MCAA Board without getting any real results. It appears the MCAA is unwilling to be transparent and provide full disclosure of their financial status. They continue to lease county property for essentially nothing, and have not placed it on their meeting agenda to discuss giving the County a seat on their Board, as Supervisors formally requested.
District 3 Supervisor Sonny Borrelli attempted to provide two County cars from the retiring fleet to the Recorder and Treasurer. The two elected officials had asked for a car at earlier meetings but were rebuked. Treasurer SueAnn Mello asserted her need to have a vehicle for travel saying, “I had to drive my own car to the 4th of July event in Colorado City.” However, this is not a statutorily mandated event and it appears that most of the elected politicians in this county go to campaign and enjoy the celebration. This most recent attempt to secure a taxpayer funded vehicle did not prevail, with the Board voting to table the item.